Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra will not be able to hold an election for the Speaker’s post during this session of the assembly, which ends Tuesday, due to yet another clash with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
The post has been vacant since February. Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal is heading the assembly currently.
The election can’t be held as the governor has questioned the constitutionality of electing the Speaker through a voice vote as against a secret ballot after the rules committee of the assembly made amendments to the election process last week.
On Sunday, a delegation comprising MVA ministers Balasaheb Thorat, Eknath Shinde and Chhagan Bhujbal met Koshyari, urging him to give a nod to the election as recommended by the cabinet. According to the norms, the governor has to give a date for the election of the post.
Sources in the government said the MVA wrote four letters to the governor during the session but Koshyari responded saying he is studying the constitutionality of the amendments.
“The amendments made to the rules are all constitutional and if in the Upper House, the election is held in an open ballot, why can’t we have that in the Lower House?” said a source from the Congress who wished to remain anonymous.
According to the sources, the government will now hold the election in the February budget session. It is also seeking legal advice to solve this deadlock.
An official from the Raj Bhavan confirmed to ThePrint that a letter was sent to the state government in sealed cover.
Speaking to the media after Tuesday’s assembly proceedings, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said they “held meetings regarding the amendments and accepted them. We worked towards the fact that nothing should be unconstitutional”.
“We sent the letter to the governor, even our ministers met the governor and he said he will check the proposal.
“Even in the Lok Sabha, such elections are held by open ballot either by head count or voice vote and this is what the MVA also wanted here. We don’t want to disrespect the governor,” he added.
In the budget session in February, he said, the government will try to hold the Speaker election and will also go and speak to the governor in between the sessions. If need be, they will approach the President too, Pawar added.
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Latest tussle
The MVA government changed the rules to have the election through an open ballot to avoid a risk of MLAs switching sides, sources said.
This would have been the opportune time for the government to hold the Speaker election since 12 MLAs of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were suspended in the last session of the assembly for a period of one year.
The Speaker’s post in the Maharashtra assembly fell vacant after the Congress’ Nana Patole left the position to become Maharashtra Congress president.
The tussle over this election is the latest one between Governor Koshyari and the MVA government, who have shared an uneasy relationship in the last two years over several friction points.
During the monsoon session, the governor wrote a letter to the government asking them to hold the election. But at the time, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the government would hold the poll at an appropriate time.
Earlier this month, the Maharashtra government also decided to clip the governor’s powers to appoint vice-chancellors for universities after Koshyari refused to approve the appointment of 12 MLCs despite several reminders from the ruling alliance.
This report has been updated with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s quote
(Edited by Amit Upadhyaya)
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